Chairman's Press

Washington, D.C. -U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, hailed last night's HELP Committee approval of an amendment that will lower drug costs by creating a pathway for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve new competitors for biologic drugs, like vaccines and cancer treatments."Biologic drugs account for some of the highest costs that people with cancer and other patients face," Enzi said. "Our amendment… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. - Despite evidence that Medicaid beneficiaries have poorer health than other Americans and have difficulty getting the care they need because many doctors do not accept Medicaid patients, Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today rejected an effort to provide Medicaid patients with new options for quality health insurance."Although Democrats keep saying they want to give people options to compete between private plans and government pla… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. - In his remarks today in Italy, President Obama put himself squarely at odds with the health care reform plan being pushed forward by Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee when it comes to cutting costs, controlling the deficit and letting Americans keep the care they have.
"President Obama again laid out clear goals for health care reform today, and theHELP Democrats' bill doesn't meet any of them," said Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.),Rank… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. - After a briefing from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) has requested further analysis of the agency's assessment that the Kennedy health care bill would cost taxpayers $1.2 trillion, force employers to reduce employee wages, and break the President's promise of, "If you like the coverage you have, you can keep it.""CBO's analysis is not a matter of partisan bickering: the experts have spoken and the results are alarming. These estimates confirm… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. - Lower-income workers, including high school dropouts,minorities and women, would bear the brunt of the job-killing, wage-cutting tax in thehealth bill offered by Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions(HELP) Committee, a Harvard University study shows. Small businesses would havethe most difficulty retaining employees and creating new jobs, according to theCongressional Budget Office (CBO).
"This new job-killing tax is going to force employers, especiall… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. - Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor andPensions (HELP) Committee today rejected a proposal from Senator Mike Enzi (RWyo.)to eliminate handouts to higher income workers in the Democrats' health care billand use the savings to expand veterans' health and education benefits, help Americanswho have lost their jobs, or pay down the national debt.
"Supporting our veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, helping peoplewho have lost their jobs, or at least paying do… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. - With the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projecting an expansion of Medicaid to cost approximately $500 billion, the total cost of the Kennedy health care bill once it is fully implemented would approach nearly $2 trillion."How are we going to pay for a $2 trillion bill? We're already getting swallowed up by runaway deficits and debt that are going to threaten our fiscal security for decades to come," said Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Educ… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. - In a public meeting with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said its new analysis shows that millions of Americans would lose the employer-based health insurance they have now if the Kennedy bill becomes law."The Kennedy bill breaks the Democrats' promise that if you like the care you have, you can keep it. CBO's new analysis confirms - the Kennedy plan will force millions of Americans to lose their cu… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. - According to the latest estimates by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the new draft of the Kennedy health care bill will cost approximately $645 billion and leave 34 million Americans without health insurance."No matter how they spin it, the Kennedy bill still costs too much and leaves 34 million Americans without health care coverage. This bill doesn't come close to achieving our goal of reducing health care costs and helping everyone get the care they need," said Senat… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Senior Member of the HELP Committee, today requested that HELP Committee Chairman Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) hold a hearing to examine President Obama's removal of the Inspector General (IG) of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Gerald Walpin. "As you know, a number of news reports have noted that the IG'… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. - In a party-line vote, Democrats on the Senate Health, Education,Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today rejected a Coburn amendment to limit the ofgovernment by setting up a "cap and trade" system for the Department of Health and HumanServices. The proposal would require that every new employee hired at HHS under the Kennedy health care bill be offset by another bureaucrat.
"At some point, we need to stop growing the of government," said Senator MikeEnzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. - In a series of party-line votes, Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today rejected a number of common sense proposals to cut wasteful spending in the Kennedy health care bill and ensure that funds go to help low-income Americans get the care they need.
"Common sense tells us not spend $80 billion on farmers' markets and jungle gyms when this bill leaves tens of millions of Americans uninsured. Americans need health insurance and our… Continue Reading

(Washington, D.C.) - The Department of Labor's (DOL) Job Corps training program, while meeting its goals for young, disadvantaged males, is struggling to meet its goals for young women according to Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released today. The report found that Job Corps has taken some steps to improve the recruitment of young women but that more can be done, including providing more appealing career training options and additional support services for young women.
"It's una… Continue Reading

Washington, D.C. - As the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions(HELP) Committee enters its second day considering the Kennedy health care bill, U.S.Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the HELP Committee, is leadingRepublican efforts to reduce the bill's out-of-control spending.
"Republicans stand ready to write a health care reform bill that matches what thePresident said this week - Americans who like the care they have must be able to keepit, and the bill must and will be def… Continue Reading